The photoluminescent metal nanoclusters with atomic precision

Due to their ultrasmall size, low toxicity, strong photoluminescence and ease with which they can be chemically modified, luminescent metal (and especially the group IB metal) nanoclusters have attracted increasing research interest, and have emerged as one of the most attractive nanomaterials. Several methods, such as one-pot, ligand exchange, and metal exchange methods have been recently explored to synthesize atomically precise nanoclusters of various sizes and compositions; and the luminescence intensity of some of these is comparable to or even superior to that of the traditional fluorescent nano materials (such as quantum dots), and organic dyes. Specifically, their high photostability, purity and atomic precision provide an opportunity for an in-depth understanding into structure-optical property correlations. This review summarizes recent progress in the field, including synthetic protocols, structural characteristics, luminescence properties, and mechanistic investigations. The prospects for future development and applications are also covered. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.